In the field of skin care compositions, the population is often classified by skin type, e.g., dry, normal, oily, combined dry/normal, combined dry/oily, or combined normal/oily skin (the latter two classes hereinafter alternatively referred to as "combined skin").
Persons with an oily skin type or combined skin type typically manifest an oily and/or shiny skin appearance between cleansings. This oily or shiny appearance generally increases as the day progresses following cleansing of the skin. In order to avoid such appearance, individuals must throughout the day either cleanse the skin, blot the skin, apply oil absorbing powders to the skin, or take some other measure to minimize the appearance of oil or shine.
Therefore, it has been desired in the art to provide topical compositions which minimize the appearance of oil and/or shine on the skin, especially oily or combined skin. Several topical compositions which are said to be designed for controlling oily and/or shiny skin are known in the art. For example, facial moisturizers and make-up said to have such property are known.
An oily or combined skin type presents a particular challenge to the formulation of make-up intended for facial use, including foundations. This is because as oil accumulates on the facial skin of such individuals, oil breakthrough occurs (the oil is not masked by the make-up such that an oily or shiny skin appearance results), and the coverage and wear resistance of the make-up tends to be reduced. It would be desirable to provide a make-up that maintains a high degree of coverage and wear resistance after application to all skin types, including oily and combined skin, preferably substantially as originally applied.
While certain formulations have been designed in an attempt to control the oily and/or shiny appearance of skin, there remains a need to provide improved topical compositions for minimizing the appearance of skin oil and/or shine. In addition to minimizing oil and/or shine, such compositions should not unacceptably discolor the skin. There is a particular need to provide improved facial make-up which minimizes the appearance of skin oil and/or shine, provides and maintains an even (i.e., uniform coverage) complexion and acceptable skin tone for extended periods after application, and/or which has extended wear resistance after application.
The B vitamins or vitamin B complex have heretofore been used to treat a number of conditions. For example, the following compounds have had the respective applications: riboflavin (acne, diabetes, anti-oxidant therapy, anemia, skin disorders, stress); nicotinic acid (atherosclerosis, pellegra, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, skin inflammation, antioxidant therapy); nicotinamide (pellegra, skin inflammation, anti-oxidant therapy); pantothenic acid (acne, anemia, arthritis, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, alcohol detoxification, infections, hair loss); pyridoxine (acne, anemia, high cholesterol, skin inflammation, immune disorders, antioxidant therapy, carpal tunnel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome). These utilities and those of other B vitamin (complex) compounds are further described, along with a discussion of their contraindications and deficiency symptoms, in The Doctor's Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia, Hendler, S. S., pp. 49-82 (Simon & Schuster, New York 1990) and Nutrients Catalog, Newstrom, H., pp. 11-90 (McFarland & Co. 1993).
It has now been found that certain B vitamins are useful when topically applied for regulating the appearance of oily and/or shiny skin, including oily and combined skin, without unacceptably discoloring the skin, e.g., by unacceptable skin flushing or reddening. It has surprisingly been found that topical compositions containing these compounds in the form of a facial make-up composition minimize the appearance of skin oil and/or shine, provide and maintain substantially uniform coverage and an acceptable skin tone for extended periods after application, and/or have extended wear resistance after application.
It is an object of the present invention to provide topical compositions for regulating the oily and/or shiny appearance of mammalian skin, especially facial skin. It is a further object of this invention to provide such topical compositions which regulate the appearance of oily and/or shiny mammalian skin, provide and maintain substantially uniform coverage for extended periods after application to the skin, provide and maintain an acceptable skin tone for extended periods after application to the skin, and/or have extended wear resistance after application to the skin. Another object of the present invention is to provide methods of regulating the appearance of oily and/or shiny mammalian skin.
Other objects of the subject invention will be apparent from the disclosure which follows.